SURGING JOB MARKET COULD PROVE COSTLY FOR HOUSEHOLDS, BUSINESSES AS ODDS OF QUICK RATE CUTS FADE

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. hiring picked up unexpectedly in December as employers added 256,000 jobs, another sign of the economy’s resilience in the face of high interest rates. The Labor Department reported Friday that job growth was up last month from 212,000 in November. The unemployment rate dropped to 4.1% from 4.2% in November.